


embrace the turtle, baby!

by nightfurious



Category: Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Cartoon 2018), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: (pre established), (those are established tags ?! heck yeah), ADHD, ADHD Character, Autism, Autistic Character, Autistic Donnie, Bisexual Character, Bisexual Donnie, Bisexual Splinter, Coming Out, Fluff, Gay Character, Gen, Genderfluid Character, Genderfluid Michelangelo (TMNT), Lesbian April, Lesbian Character, Mikey Has ADHD, Nonbinary Character, Nonbinary Donnie, Pansexual Character, Pansexual Michelangelo (TMNT), Pride Parades, Self-Acceptance, Self-Indulgent, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Trans Character, Trans Male Character, Trans Raph, also meant to imply leo has anxiety and insomnia but those are more in spirit than anything, author has never been to a pride parade, gay leo, heart emoji, leo has adhd, raph is questioning but implied aspec, supportive family, tcest if you even fucking look at this fic i will stomp you to death with my hooves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:01:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26411560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightfurious/pseuds/nightfurious
Summary: The turtles catch wind of a pride parade happening soon and individually decide to go, but when they get caught in the act of sneaking out, some truths come out into the open. Except, nothing happens, and they still go to a pride parade....Why did they wait to talk to each other about this?
Relationships: Donatello & Leonardo & Michelangelo & April O'Neil & Raphael & Splinter | Lou Jitsu, Donatello & Leonardo & Michelangelo & Raphael (TMNT), Everyone & Everyone
Comments: 13
Kudos: 131





	embrace the turtle, baby!

**Author's Note:**

> hiii<3 first published fic in the tmnt fandom expect more from me later
> 
> shoutout to my beta readers, and especially to bryn bc i made them read this against their will and they really helped out a lot ily bryn
> 
> important note: this is my first time writing neurodivergent characters! i did my best and i had some help and i think they turned out okay, but if there's something here that's straight-up harmful pleease tell me. also my first time writing lgbt characters in a context like this, i tried real hard :pensive:
> 
> side note: to avoid confusion, here's some preemptive explanation. throughout the fic i use she/her for mikey, and he/they for donnie (some passages use he/him, some use they/them, but the changes are extremely few and clear). also, i have never been to a pride parade and i'm fairly certain this isn't exactly how they go, so my excuse is that the hidden city is just built different™
> 
> thank youuu for reading !! i really really hope you enjoy it<3

There was a pride parade in a few days, and Raphael wanted to go.

He couldn’t, though. And it wasn’t because he was self-conscious. His family already knew he was trans—heck, they’d been there for his whole journey, so he couldn’t hide anything even if he wanted to. But honestly, how could he expect to go somewhere that crowded, for that long, and not be outed as a giant mutant turtle?

Yeah, better not to get his hopes up. 

Still, it looked like fun. He loved his family to the moon and back, truly, but maybe at a pride parade he could finally be surrounded by people like _him._ They wouldn’t be huge turtles, of course—unless a few well-shaped yokai decided to attend—but they would understand him. They’d know what he had gone through, what he was still going through; he could talk about dysphoria and others would _relate,_ he could hear others’ stories and see himself in them. His brothers would always sympathize, but they didn’t really _get_ it.

Now that the thought had crossed his mind, it wouldn’t leave him alone. He was starting to realize just how much he wanted to talk to people who would _get_ it.

It was still a bad idea to go, though. What if he was seen? It was just too big of a risk.

But then, on patrol, he spotted another advertisement for the event and tried not to stare too hard as he and his brothers passed by. It was on Saturday during daylight hours, and with any luck, his brothers would be sleeping at that time.

Maybe, just maybe… he could pull this off.

He really wanted to go.

//

There was a pride parade tomorrow, and Michelangelo wanted to go.

But there was no way _that_ was happening. For the queen of self-confidence she was, Mikey just could not bring herself to come out to her brothers.

That wasn’t a huge problem, really. After all, she was genderfluid; most of the time, she didn’t mind her brothers using he/him pronouns for her, or calling her their brother. It was just that there were other times—sometimes rare, sometimes lasting for months—where their words churned her gut, sapped all the energy out of her good mood, and though of course she knew it was never intentional, it still stung. 

And so what if she was pansexual? That part she knew they wouldn’t mind, though frankly she was sure they wouldn’t mind that she was genderfluid, either. There was just a niggling insecurity in the back of her mind whispering that she’d be shunned from the moment she told them, rejected and left all alone. That would be both hypocritical and incredibly out of character for them, she knew, but no matter how the words burned on her tongue she never found herself able to let them out.

But maybe she could tell someone at the parade. She may even be able to find someone who felt exactly the same, closeted and scared, and—honestly, maybe she was just a little desperate to hear someone refer to her with she/her pronouns. 

Mikey grinned at the news article she was reading that advertised the parade. She really wanted to go; all she had to do was find a way.

//

There was a pride parade today, and Leonardo was desperate to go.

He’d been sitting on the decision for days, flip-flopping between wanting to go, being too scared to go, deciding to go, _swearing_ to go, then backing out again—it was exhausting, to say the least. But he was going to go, no matter what. He just had to get over his irrational fear of his brothers waking up first.

Yet he continued laying in his bed, scrolling through social media with not a wink of sleepiness in his eyes or a hint of motivation to leave his room. Man, he wanted to go. He wanted to exist in a place where he didn’t have to hide himself, where he could just _be_ alongside other people who wanted the same thing. This was only happening today, though, and he wanted to spend a few hours there at least; this would only work if he left now.

With great effort, he shoved himself from his bed, then jumped into action like the flick of a switch. After some thought, he slung his odachi across his back; he’d portal himself there later, but first things first: a trip to the kitchen. If he was going to save his meager money for when he was actually there, a snack was in order before he left.

His steps were silent as a ghost’s as he crept through the lair, keeping an eye out in the darkness for any of his brothers. When he caught sight of the kitchen, he froze. The light was on, and he could hear sounds coming from the fridge. Someone was already there.

Crap.

Whoever was there, he could wait them out, right? Raph and Mikey didn’t usually stay up late, and if it was Donnie, he’d make his way back to his lab soon. Yeah, this would work. He didn’t like it—he didn’t _want_ to sit still, he wanted to _go_ —but he hugged the wall and waited.

Except he hadn’t been there long before something bumped into his shell from behind. Leo slapped a hand over his own mouth to muffle a yelp, and from over his shoulder he heard a tiny, familiar squeak. He spun around, squinting in the semi-darkness to face the newcomer. “ _Mikey?!_ ”

“Leo? Wh- what are you—”

“I should be asking _you_ that!” He put on his best big brother voice. “Are you sneaking out?”

“What? _Nooo,_ of _course_ not!” Except his little brother’s posture was far too rigid, one hand behind his back and the other scratching the back of his head, so yeah, no way. Mikey’s expression shifted to a frown, and he added, “Wait, are _you_ sneaking out?”

“Who, me? What could have possibly given you that idea?” he said, dramatically placing a hand over his heart.

“Then what are you doing out here?”

“Getting a late-night snack, of course. What else would I be—”

“The kitchen light is on, Leo. And there’s no need to go stealth mode at home.”

“Well, I— it’s good practice?”

His little brother shot him an unimpressed look, which Leo countered with an easy grin. Mikey opened his mouth to respond when his eyes flicked to something behind Leo, and he shrank back in alarm, pulling his head a few inches into his shell. Leo’s stomach dropped; he didn’t even have to turn around to understand, but he did anyway, and— ah, great.

“Leo? Mikey?” asked Raph, blinking. “What are you guys doin‘ out here?”

“Stealth practice!” said Leo, too loudly, still grinning. “Looks like we failed, though, eh, Mikey?”

Their older brother just sighed. “You were sneaking out, weren’t you?”

“ _Whaaat?_ Of course I wasn’t, why would you—”

“Yeah, I was,” Mikey interrupted quietly, lowering his head even further. “Sorry, Raph.”

Leo glanced back at him in surprise, then back up to Raph, but he couldn’t meet his big brother’s gaze. Raph just frowned. “Well… I won’t say that’s alright, because you could’ve gotten yourselves in danger, but… Come out here. No need to hide in the dark.”

Mikey nodded meekly and stepped around Leo, passing Raph to enter the kitchen. Leo’s anxiety was going crazy, but he smashed it down with as much force as he could muster, flashing Raph another easy smile as he stepped forward. 

“So,” Raph started, following behind them, “where were you guys going?”

“Nowhere,” Mikey said quickly.

At the same time, Leo muttered, “I wasn’t sneaking out. Actually, _Raph,_ you know what, what are _you_ doing up so late?”

“Oh, well, uh—” and, yup, he was definitely lying, “—I was just, uh, you know, getting a midnight snack?”

“Uh-huh, yeah, sure. I wonder how Dad would react if I told him our big brother snuck out in the middle of the day.”

“What? But I didn’t—”

“You were going to, weren’t you?” Leo jabbed a finger in his direction. 

“Well, I, uh—”

“Wait a second,” Mikey interrupted, fully withdrawing his head, eyes wide where they were fixed on the countertop. “Do you think— were we all going to the same place?”

Leo froze. They weren’t, right? They couldn’t be. Raph, he could understand, but wherever Mikey was going had to be somewhere different. He didn’t stop to wonder where.

The three of them looked at each other, then Leo pointed at Raph, Raph pointed at Mikey, and Mikey pointed at Leo, and they all said, “ _You_ were going to the parade?”

At first, Leo didn’t realize exactly what happened, and a sudden spike of anxiety nearly made him dizzy. Oh, no, oh, _man,_ he’d just blown _everything,_ now they knew where he was going, which meant they knew he was—

Wait.

Leo forced himself to breathe, and his head stopped spinning just enough that he could make out his brothers’ equally surprised faces. Raph was looking at him, and _crap,_ his expression was partly worried, and he was _not_ going down this line of questioning right now. _Deflect, deflect, deflect._ Trying to hide his shaking hand by drumming it against his leg, he said, “Hold up, Raph, you were gonna go without us? But we’re your hype squad! You can’t leave us behind!”

Raph blinked, and part of the tension drained into embarrassment. “Well, I—”

“Yeah, let us go with you, please? We won’t do anything to embarrass you!” Mikey added.

“That’s not what I was worried about, guys. I just… kinda wanted to go alone? I wanted to be able to talk to people who would really _get_ me, you know?”

That was more of an open-book answer than Leo expected, but of course Raph wouldn’t mind sharing something like that. Still, “I get that. But come on, Raph, you know how you get when you’re alone. And we don’t mind tagging along. We never have and never will.”

“Oh.” He blinked as if just remembering what could’ve happened. “Yeah, you have a good point there, Leo.” Then he smiled and added, “Thanks. And I don’t know if we’re still going, but I’d love for you to come with me.”

“Wait, Leo,” Mikey cut in, snapping himself out of another staring contest, this time with one of the hanging pans, “why were you going to the parade in the first place?”

 _Ah-ah, Uno reverse card._ “The better question is why were _you_ going, Miguel, since it clearly wasn’t for Raphie here.”

“Don’t try to talk your way out of this, Leo,” chastised Raph. “Is there something you wanna tell us?”

No, _no,_ he _knew,_ he _had_ to know—a sentence like that _always_ meant they already knew the answer, which meant Leo was sunk, busted, he was going to get kicked out, and _why did he think this was a good idea, again?_ Despite Leo’s best efforts, Raph must have noticed his breathing pick up, and the way his tapping hand shifted to digging his nails into his palm, rapping his knuckles against his thigh. Leo wasn’t looking at him, could barely stutter out a broken “I— um…” but Raph _must_ have noticed, and that was the worst part.

Their biggest brother quickly held his hands up in surrender. “Only if you’re comfortable, Leo. I don’t want to—”

“I— it- it’s fine,” Leo cut him off, because he’d already come to terms with this situation and he knew now, crystal clear, that if he didn’t spit it out here he never would. “I— I, yeah, I’m— I’m gay.”

His worst fears expected a deafening silence, followed by a venomous eviction, a few insults, maybe some slurs if they sunk _really_ low, and goodbye, brothers. He’d always known, in the back of his mind, that would never happen; his family was way too good for that, and even if his brothers reacted poorly, which was next to impossible, his father would always be there. Even so, as soon as the words left his mouth, he clenched his eyes shut as though waiting for a beating, body trembling, terrifyingly lightheaded.

“Oh, is that all?”

It wasn’t the voice Leo expected, nor was it any response he’d planned for, but that was somehow exactly what he needed. The surprise stilled him, in a way; his hand paused, and when his eyes shot open they were clear, almost steady. Then he snapped his gaze over to the kitchen entrance as Donnie waltzed in, completely unbothered by his brothers gaping at him on all sides. Finally, Leo burst out, “Wha— _Donnie?_ You— uh, you heard that, did you?”

“Yes, Leo, it’s a bit hard not to notice when all three of your brothers start holding a tribunal in the middle of the day,” he deadpanned, pushing past Leo to the fridge. “Thought I might join you and grab some water while I’m at it. Did I miss anything important?”

Leo was still reeling, but thankfully Raph took over. “Uh— no, not really, but more importantly, Leo—” _crap, there it is,_ “—you didn’t expect us to get mad over that, right?”

“Yeah, bro, come on!” said Mikey, or maybe this was Dr. Feelings? “You’re way more important to us than your sexuality. We’d never kick you out for that. We’d never kick you out for _anything._ ”

Wow, that kid was perceptive. But he was also right. Of _course_ he was. How could Leo have _ever_ doubted his own brothers? He sighed, and his hand started fidgeting again on his thigh, working out the residual terror. “Yeah, I know. I just… I guess I just got really scared. I kept thinking you would, for no reason. Sorry, guys.”

Donnie hummed. “You know, that might be a part of your ADHD.”

“Huh? Really?” Leo huffed. “That’s annoying.”

“Is it part of mine, too?” Mikey said curiously.

“Mm, yeah, probably.”

Raph glanced between them, then said, “Well, Leo, I’m really glad you told us, and I promise, we still love you no matter what.” Leo flashed him a grateful smile, which he returned, and he continued, “Mikey? Are you… comfortable with sharing your reason?”

Mikey visibly flinched, and his gaze fell somewhere to the side, firmly avoiding them. “Well, I… I’m pan.” Leo nodded, already proud of his little brother for making it this far, but his tone said there was more to it. Sure enough, Mikey started pulling his head into his shell again, twiddling his thumbs nervously. “And I’m also, um…” He took a deep breath, and his eyes flicked toward them then back down. “I’m also… genderfluid?”

Leo blinked, racking his brain. “That’s the one where, uh—”

“—you switch between certain genders over time,” Donnie finished, and Mikey nodded.

“Oh! Right, yeah.” He blinked again as it registered, and another grin grew on his face.

“Yeah, I’ve heard of that,” Raph chimed in. “Sorry, Mikey, just slipped my mind for a second.”

Mikey frowned, and he glanced up at them again. “You don’t… think it’s weird?”

Leo gasped, half for the dramatics and half because why on Earth would Mikey be worried about that? “ _What?_ Of course it’s not weird! You’re my favorite little brother in the world, I could never— oh, hold on.” Something clicked in his mind. “Little— sibling? What should I…”

“Um… For now? Little sister,” she admitted quietly.

“Ah, thanks. As I was saying, you’re the best little sister ever! I could never think you’re weird, no matter what.”

“Leo’s right,” said Raph, smiling. “You _are_ the best little sister, because you’re our _only_ little sister—uh, right?” Leo and Donnie nodded quickly at his questioning glance. “Right. Doesn’t matter what pronouns, we’ll always love you.”

Mikey’s smile grew by a thousand watts every time they said the word “sister” until her entire being looked like it was glowing. “Thanks, Raph! Thanks, guys!” She threw herself at Raph, probably because he was closest, and added, “I have the best family ever. I love you guys!”

Leo watched the scene fondly, about to speak up again when he caught movement in the corner of his eye; he turned just in time to see Donnie open his mouth, then close it, frown, and turn back to the fridge. Oh no, no way, he wasn’t letting his twin-in-spirit get away with bottling something up again. When Donnie faced them again, Leo’s stare finally snagged his attention, and Leo gestured questioningly between him and their hugging siblings. Donnie just cocked an eyebrow for a few seconds before it seemed to click. And even though he obviously stalled for several more seconds, he finally sighed and faced his siblings again.

“Well—” He cleared his throat. That got Raph and Mikey’s attention, and Donnie looked away, fiddling with his hands. “If— if we’re doing this now, then I am… I am also… Hm.”

Mikey perked up and stepped away from Raph. “Are you genderfluid too?”

“That I am not. Personally, I find gender to be an over-stigmatized load of bullcrap designed by some dumb-dumb that just wanted to put people in boxes,” he said bluntly, and Leo barely bit back a laugh. “However, if I must have one, you can use the label ‘non-binary.’”

“So… should we use they/them for you?”

“Oh, I don’t care. He and they are both fine.”

“Were you going to the parade, too?” asked Raph.

“No. I was just working. Is that— wait, were all of you going?”

“Well, we _were,_ ” Leo corrected, “before we got caught up in… _this_ whole situation.”

“We can still go, though, right?” Mikey’s eyes were still sparkling, fists pumping in front of her. “We can all go together! And we can call April, too—we can make it a family thing!”

“Now _that_ sounds like fun!” Leo fumbled with his phone then paused, finger hovering over the send button. “Are you alright with that, Donnie?”

His sibling glanced at him, mildly surprised. “Oh, yeah, sure. I was sorta counting on going with Raph at least, so yeah, I’m fine with it.” Leo nodded and sent the text.

“You knew I wanted to go?” Raph asked, eyes widening.

“I’d be more surprised if you didn’t. Though, I _am_ a little surprised that these two were going with you and not me, but—”

“Oh, no, we weren’t—” said Mikey, waving her hands, at the same time Leo laughed, “Yeah, funny story. All three of us were planning on sneaking out on our own.”

Donnie laughed shortly. “And now I’m less surprised.”

Leo’s phone vibrated—bless April always having her ringtone on—and he flicked it open to find not one enthusiastic “yes,” but at _least_ seventeen. “Well, guys, I think April’s in.”

“In that case,” Raph said, with that grin that was part leader, part older brother, and fully mischievous, “it’s time for the Mad Dogs to hit the streets.”

And, of course, it wasn’t until they were ready to leave that Splinter finally decided to appear under Donnie’s arm (probably purposefully prompting a startled yelp) and tossed a pamphlet in Raph’s face. “Good _grief,_ children—” because _of course_ the rat’s sixth sense somehow knew not to say sons, “—do not put yourselves in danger without reason.”

“But _Dad_ —” started Mikey.

“The Hidden City is holding its own parade! Go there instead, so you will not need to hide.”

Leo gaped at him, then he and his siblings turned to each other. A grin grew on all of their faces.

“Oh, and I’m coming, too.”

//

They were finally arriving at the Hidden City’s pride parade, and Michelangelo’s stomach was fluttering with an odd mix of anticipation, excitement, and nervousness.

If there was one thing she knew for sure, it was that having her siblings with her made everything a million times better. She could’ve come here on her own, sure, and probably had a good time, too, but it wouldn’t have been anywhere near as fun. Not to mention she would’ve gotten lonely fast, having no one to talk to. But what did all that matter now? She’d come clean, they’d _accepted_ her, and now they were here. They were really _here!_

“So, you guys have never been to one of these before, right?” April was saying, and when they all shook their heads, she continued, “Alright, a few ground rules, then. Don’t out each other unless you’re sure it’s okay. No one here should judge you, but there might be a few jerks, and besides, you don’t want to make each other uncomfortable. Second, stick together. There are a _lot_ of yokai here.”

“Have you been to one of these before?” Mikey asked curiously.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay, April?” Raph said at the same time. “Some of the yokai here might not be so accepting of humans.”

“Ha! I’ll be fine, Raph. I’ve been here before, I can handle these guys. And yes, I have, Mikey, and let me be the first to tell you: you’re gonna have a blast.”

April, the godsend she was, had already talked them through much of what they’d be seeing here, which, Mikey could tell, did wonders for Leo and Donnie’s jitters. She wasn’t sure about the others, but she was _itching_ to find the merch stands; the moment she laid eyes on the stickers or, dare she hope, _paints_ in her flags’ colors, they would be hers and her shell would become nothing more than her canvas. She could already feel the brushes in her hand and, perhaps in response to the ghostly touch, she started curling and uncurling her fingers quickly, practically vibrating with energy.

A giggle bubbled its way up her throat, and just like that, she gave up her finger tapping in favor of a running leap, at _least_ eight feet high, laughing all the way up and down. When she looked down to find her family all grinning back at her, even after she landed safely, that weightless feeling never left her chest.

 _Why_ hadn’t they done this sooner?!

The crowds finally came into sight in the streets ahead—Leo had offered to portal them in, but April insisted on walking in like “normal people”—and Mikey started to throw herself in headfirst when Raph shouted her name, calling her back to reality. “Right, stick together! Got it!”

“Well, this looks promising,” Donnie murmured.

Splinter whistled appreciatively. “That is certainly a large crowd.”

“Oh, _wow,_ ” Leo breathed, and Mikey didn’t have to look to know he was just as excited as her. “Okay, enough looking, let’s go, let’s _go,_ come on!” He grabbed the two arms closest to him—April and Mikey—and leapt forward. Raph and Donnie followed close behind, both chuckling even as they called after their hyperactive brother.

Whether it was sixth sense or just plain luck, Leo led them through the mob straight to a stand that was positively inundated with flags for sale—stickers, magnets, pins, patches, little handheld ones, even big, full-sized ones meant for a flagpole. While her siblings eagerly eyed the display, Mikey scanned the area around them, the booths selling coffee cups and water bottles, backpacks, funky-looking caricatures, cloaking brooches and other cool yokai devices she’d never seen, except none of that was what she was looking for. She turned to the terrier-like yokai currently holding out a pin to Splinter and said, “Excuse me! ’Scuse me, sorry, is there anybody around here that sells paints?”

“Paints? Oh, yeah, they’re—” the yokai gestured further down on the other side of the street to a fairly obvious face-paint stand that Mikey somehow overlooked, “—right over there.”

But by the time they’d finished, she’d already shouted a “Thanks!” and dashed off, heedless of Raph calling her name again. 

The stand was mostly empty when she arrived; the artist waved at their retreating customer before turning to Mikey with a bright smile. “Afternoon, son. What can I get ya?”

“Can you paint my shell?” she said in a rush.

If they were surprised, it didn’t show. “I sure can, but that’ll be a lot of paint. That all right?”

“That’s fine by me!”

“Sorry about my sister,” came a voice from behind her, and Mikey jumped, even as a burst of warmth blossomed in her chest at their words. Of course, Donnie’s the only one who could follow her without her noticing.

“Not a problem at all,” the artist responded with another kind smile. 

And that was how Mikey ended up with a giant genderfluid flag covering the expanse of her shell, plus a pan flag on both cheeks, paid for with the money Donnie brought that Mikey left behind. She couldn’t see either painting, but she didn’t need to; she just wore them as proudly as she could while Donnie led her back to the others. A giggle burst its way out of her throat again as she squeezed her sibling’s hand happily. “Thanks for the save, D.”

They offered her a fond smile, lightly squeezing her hand back, and oh, _wow_ — it had barely been ten minutes since she arrived, and Mikey was certain this was one of the best days of her life.

//

They had been at the Hidden City’s pride parade for hours, and surprisingly, Donatello didn’t want to go home yet.

Oh, don’t get him wrong, he was exhausted. The brilliant atmosphere of the decorated streets had long since started prickling painfully against his senses, but he’d planned for this. With his hoodie pulled low over his eyes, noise-canceling headphones serenading him with his favorite dubstep beats, seated at the outdoor tables of some quiet, out-of-the-way restaurant with his father yokai-watching across from him, he was recovering. 

He and his siblings had split up nearly an hour ago. He wasn’t quite sure where any of them were, but they all had their phones and their training, so he wasn’t worried. Besides, they were due back soon; by Donnie’s own assertions, he’d be recovered enough by then to join them for a short while longer before they went home. 

But he didn’t want to go home now, no matter how many times they’d all asked him that when he told them he needed a break. Donnie could scarcely remember the last time he’d seen his family so _happy._ Every time one of them called Mikey their sister or used the right pronouns, it was like the sun came to life inside her. It had been a frankly Herculean task to keep her from running off at every bright color, asking about every flag she saw, and it was one he knew the others were still grappling with. But it was worth it. Anything was worth it to keep that smile on her face.

And Leo, for all his anxiety, had taken the dive with gusto, painting the rainbow flag on his cheeks, pasting it on his plastron. The change in him afterward was nearly palpable. Each yokai he saw with a matching flag seemed like a physical weight off his shoulders until he was standing as tall as Donnie knew he could, laughing, bouncing around, stimming in the happiest ways he knew how. April jogging up to him and gesturing between her own lesbian flag-adorned outfit and his stickers just served to seal the deal. Donnie eventually caved, too, allowing his siblings to slap non-binary and bisexual stickers on his battle shell, and even Splinter pinned the bi flag to his kimono, which came as a mild—but welcome—surprise.

Raph was the wildcard of their afternoon; he seemed much the same as normal, but then again, he was the only one of the four who had come out before that day. Still, they had tons more time to wander, so Donnie hoped his big brother would be able to find something to put that skip in his step like their younger siblings had.

A wrinkly hand crossed into Donnie’s field of vision, tapping the table pointedly. Donnie quickly paused his music and snapped his headphones off, the bright lights around them only a minor annoyance by now. “Purple,” his father said, and he looked up. “Our family is back.”

The other four were strolling down the sidewalk toward them now, chattering animatedly. Mikey was the first to spot Donnie and Splinter, and she dashed ahead without hesitation. Donnie couldn’t help noticing that, along with paint splattered across every part of her skin and shell, there were at least six more stickers attached to her plastron, not all of which applied to her. At least, he didn’t think so. Considering that two of them were asexual and aromantic flags, he guessed they were just flags she liked. “Donnie! Do you feel better now? You sure you don’t want us to go home?”

“Yes and yes, Michaela.” Donnie stood and stretched. “I’ll be good to go for as long as we stay.”

“Did you four have fun?” asked Splinter. 

“Oho, _did_ we!” April laughed. There was glitter in her hair now, and a tiny plastic lesbian flag was sticking out of her backpack.

“Leo wouldn’t stop making heart eyes at this one bunny boy,” Mikey added with a smirk.

“Wh— _Mikey!_ I was _not!_ ”

Donnie couldn’t hold back a hearty laugh at Leo’s expense, ignoring the venomous glance sent his way. “Did you get his number at least?”

“No…”

“I did!” Mikey chirped, holding up her phone.

“You— _what?!_ When did you—”

“You were too busy staring at him to notice!”

Raph finally caught up and stood next to Donnie, chuckling at the spectacle. Curious, Donnie looked up at him, and— yep, something had happened. He was much more relaxed now, eyes twinkling in a way that matched what Donnie had seen in Mikey and Leo earlier. There was also a large trans flag sticker on his plastron, at least twice the size of the one he’d been sporting for most of the day. He wondered briefly if he should even ask, and decided to go for it anyway. “Did something happen?”

“Nah, not really.” Interesting—none of Raph’s usual tells were showing. Guess he just didn’t want to share. Which was fine, but intriguing.

“Hey, guys!” April called, effectively breaking up what had devolved into Leo wrestling Mikey for her phone. “We’re losing time here, let’s go!”

Fight forgotten, Leo whooped and leapt toward her, followed quickly by Mikey and a chuckling Splinter. Raph and Donnie were close behind, though not before Raph stopped him to ask, again, “You sure you’re alright, Donnie?”

“For the last time, Raph, I’m perfectly fine.” Well, his eyes hurt and he was developing a headache, but he’d live. “Come on, before we leave you behind.”

The restaurant was a block away from the parade proper, and the sidewalk between was significantly less crowded than the main street. As Donnie’s curiosity got the better of them, they jogged up beside Mikey and gestured to her plastron. “I see you’ve expanded your collection there. Do you know what all of them are, or…”

“Nah, not all of them. I do know… this one, this one, and this one,” she added, tapping the lesbian, trans, and non-binary stickers. Then she turned to look at Donnie, and _why_ was she using puppy-dog eyes on them, she knew she never had to. “Do you know what the others are?”

“But of course, Angelo. That one—” they pointed, “—is the asexual flag, also called ace. That means that whosoever uses that label does not feel sexual attraction for others. Similarly, _that_ one is demisexual, which means the user may feel sexual attraction for another person, but only after getting to know them for a while and forming a deep emotional bond.”

Mikey made an “ _ooohh_ ” sound. “That’s cool! So it’s, like, the opposite of pan?”

“Not exactly. It is true that the prefix _pan_ means ‘all,’ and _a_ means ‘not’—fun fact, by the way—but being pan doesn’t mean you’re attracted to anyone and everyone. It just means you _can_ be. And there’s the difference between sexual orientations and romantic orientations, and, oh, _that_ flag there is aromantic. It’s similar to the others, but it means the user doesn’t feel _romantic_ attraction to others. It does _not_ mean they don’t feel _sexual_ attraction, _nor_ does it mean they want to be alone forever. It just means they don’t want to be in a romantic relationship. Asexual and aromantic are often associated with each other, but one person does not have to be both.”

“Man, there’s more to this than I thought,” Mikey murmured.

At the same time, there was a small “huh” from behind them, and Leo burst out laughing. “That one catch your attention, big brother?”

Donnie glanced back, foregoing their explanation of queerplatonic relationships. Raph was watching them with a thoughtful expression, which quickly shifted into a sheepish smile aimed at Leo. “Uh, yeah, a little. Guess I’m gonna have to do some research.”

“We _are_ at a pride parade,” Donnie pointed out, making a sweeping gesture to the crowd before them. “You have all the personal accounts you could ever want right here.”

April tapped her chin thoughtfully. “I _do_ think I remember seeing a group of aroace yokai a while ago. We should look for them.”

“Alright, but no rush,” Leo insisted, practically quivering with excitement again. “We’ve gotta take our time and enjoy this.”

“Yes, we _have_ been. For—” Donnie glanced at their phone, “—five hours.”

“Hey, _you’re_ the one who insisted on not going home.”

“And I stand by that. I’m just saying.”

They finally arrived at the main street, and Donnie took a step behind Mikey as she paved the way back into the crowd, their other siblings following close. From the back, April called, “Hey, Mikey! Take a left!”

“I will, but— just look at those! One sec, Apes, I wanna check this out!”

That was their only warning before she started toward another nearby booth, and when Donnie grabbed her hand, she pulled them along instead of stopping. Oh, well.

This one had stickers of a bunch of flags they’d never seen, with stripes similar to existing flags but with all the wrong colors. Most of them had handwritten labels next to them, like one that read ‘ _bisexuals who like dogs,_ ’ or another that read ‘ _trans yokai who like Jupiter Jim._ ’ Donnie was, frankly, both confused and impressed. They were all incredibly specific.

“ _Whoaa,_ these are so cool!” Mikey breathed. “What are they for?”

A teenage-looking yokai beamed at her over the counter. “Glad you asked! They’re all just for fun—a friend and I designed them. If you see any you like, let us know, or if you have any ideas for new ones, you can—”

That was when Donnie stopped hearing him, because their eyes landed on a yellow, gray, white, and blue striped flag with a note next to it that read ‘ _non-binary yokai who love engineering,_ ’ and they weren’t able to keep from exclaiming, “Whoa!”

Curiosity piqued, Mikey glanced over and gasped, gesturing between it and Donnie. “Hey, check it out, D! It’s you!”

“Yeah, I—” They laughed incredulously, not even bothering to mask their happy fist pumps or question why this meant so much to them. “That— that’s me!”

The yokai behind the counter smiled widely and snapped the sticker up with a flourish, handing it over like a fantasy prince asking for a princess’s hand. Mikey already had the proper payment in her hand— _where did she get money?_ —so Donnie just grabbed for the sticker, slapping it boldly on the center of their plastron.

“Hey! Hi, sorry to interrupt,” April interrupted, shoving her way through the crowd next to the duo, “but we just heard someone’s doing street magic down the road and Leo took off, come on, we gotta follow him!”

“Street magic?” Mikey repeated, leaping from her chair. “Oh, _baby,_ that sounds fun!”

Donnie followed behind them, but not before calling back, “Thank you, oddly-specific-pride-flag-creator! I will never forget what you’ve done for me!”

“Hell yeah!” came the laughed response.

“Hm? Oh, Donnie, you got something? What is that?” April asked, paving her warpath down the street. 

“This, my sapphic friend, is the only flag I will ever wear ever again. You are looking at my new identity.”

She just laughed. “Alright, whatever you say.”

There was a mushroom-cloud of blue-green fire up ahead, followed by a chorus of _oohs_ and _aahs_ and applause, and yup, that must be where Leo ran off to. The show looked too bright and loud for Donnie, whose head was still pounding, but if that was where their brother was having fun, they’d brave the stimulation. And maybe they’d regret it when they all finally left the parade later, but for now, Donnie sure was glad they’d chosen to stay with their family. 

//

They had left the Hidden City’s pride parade a few hours ago, but Raphael still felt like he was riding a wonderful high as he sat on the couch with his family around him. 

All six of them had crashed in the T.V. room the moment they arrived, barely sparing the energy to choose and start a Lou Jitsu movie. Mikey was the first to fall asleep, head pillowed on Raph’s thigh, followed shortly by April. And though everyone else was close, they had yet to successfully join the girls. 

“Today,” Leo whispered, “was amazing.”

“Yeah, it was,” Raph chuckled, and Donnie nodded along.

“I had a great time with you tonight,” Splinter agreed. “Thank you for allowing an old rat to accompany you on your journey. And may I just say,” he added, “I am so proud of you all.”

All three heads snapped his way in surprise.

“You four demonstrated great courage today,” their father continued, caressing Mikey’s mask tails, eliciting a sleepy smile. “Understanding and coming to terms with one’s identity can be extremely difficult, and you were right to trust your family with this information, no matter how hard it may have been. Remember, my children, that no matter who you become or what way you identify, your siblings and I will _always_ be here for you.”

“Dad, please, I’m gonna cry.” Leo’s hands were covering his face, but Raph could hear that he was already crying.

Their father was right, though. The journey with their identities was difficult, and in Raph’s experience, lonely. So when he ran into a horrifically familiar trio at the parade and immediately identified his own blue, white, and pink flag pinned to a tall mouse’s shirt, what followed was a reintroduction to Dastardly Danny that was both incredibly strange and weirdly cathartic. Why the Mud Dogs risked showing their faces at a pride parade, Raph decided not to ask, but at least none of them made any trouble—which was more than a little surprising, considering the note the four of them parted on. In fact, the biggest scene they caused was when Raph and Danny both pointed at each other through the crowd and cried, “ _You!_ ” 

Though, his siblings, and Leonard and Mickey glaring daggers at each other hadn’t exactly helped things.

And true, a trio of criminals was no transgender support group, but Raph didn’t have the luxury of being picky, and if Danny’s reaction was any indication, it was the same for him. Conversation was stilted at first, but the more they talked, the easier it got; with each story they swapped, Raph felt more and more _seen._ There really were people out there like him. There really were people out there who _got_ him. It was simultaneously surreal and liberating finally being able to talk to someone, and he felt like he was walking on air even after they parted ways.

Splinter just laughed at Leo’s dramatics. “I may not have been there when you four spoke to each other, but I could see on your faces how much it meant to you. You did well today. Okay, that’s all, I’m done.”

“Man, that conversation honestly doesn’t feel _real_ anymore,” said Leo, gesturing wildly. “I mean, how did that even happen? What were the odds that all three of us were hiding things and we just decided to come out with it then and there?”

Donnie nodded in a way that Raph took to mean the odds were pretty good, but it was laced with a wince. He’d pushed himself too hard like they’d feared, and the overstimulation got to him. Once they were home, he’d wordlessly explained that he didn’t want to be alone, so long as they kept the lights and volume to a minimum, and they were doing their best at that; the movie’s brightness couldn’t exactly be controlled, but by keeping his hood low and eyes averted, Donnie seemed to be doing fine. Well, fine enough. Not enough to keep Raph from worrying, though.

“Keep it down, Leo,” Raph reminded him, and with wide eyes, Leo quickly gestured an apology. Donnie accepted it with a small smile. “And yeah, you’re right, but I’m glad it happened. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have gone together. Or known what makes each other comfortable.” He smiled over at his still-awake siblings. “I’m glad you guys talked to me. Thanks.”

“Not you, too,” Leo hissed, covering his eyes again. 

Splinter snickered, then settled deeper into his chair with a yawn. “I think it’s time we all take a cue from your sisters here. I don’t know about you three, but I am absolutely _exhausted._ ”

“Good idea, Pops,” Raph whispered, leaning sideways onto his father’s chair. He felt Leo lean on his other side, and behind them, Donnie scooted around to lay shell-to-shell with Leo. Raph almost turned to glare at him— _don’t hurt yourself more just for a turtle pile!_ —but when he heard both of them release content sighs and felt Leo relax against him, he decided against it. 

Today was… wow, today was something. And things would definitely not be the same for them tomorrow. But that was okay, right? Things would be different, but nothing will have changed. They were still family through thick and thin, no matter what. And they were a family that Raph was really, really proud to have.

With his family all around him and an infamous cry of “ _Hot souuuup!_ ” from the projector, Raph drifted to sleep and dreamed of that new tomorrow.

**Author's Note:**

> they're baby your honor
> 
> hope you liked it!!!


End file.
